of vnrighteousnes above it in that there is in it the hight and power of al pride aÌ„d crueltie reigning and ruling over mens consciences as God vnder a most glorious shewe of godlines where by al Nations have bene made drunke with the wine of that Cup of fornication and whereby the whole power of Christ in his lawes statutes and ordinaÌ„ces hath bene aÌ„d yeâ— is abolished vtterly aÌ„d in the streets of this great Citie we meane nâ— perticuler place but the whole misterie of iniquitie spiritually called Sodome aÌ„d Egypt hath the corpes of the two witnesses of the Lord his word and spirit in the doctrine of the Apostles â—yen dead For who doth not knowe that they have altogether taken the word of God from the people that they migh not have it â—o much as in their owne language neither may they meddle with the spirit of knowledg and vnderstanding of it but from thâ—â— as they thought and yet do thinke good to deliuer it vnto them and that must stand for the Word and spirit of God without trying And this may suffice for a plaine and general discoverie of that BabiloÌ„ Sodome Egipt spiritually so called and of that Beast wiâ—h â—eaven heads and ten hornes and the rather seing there are so manie excelleÌ„t discoveries written thereof And shal we now sit downe as though our danger were past in finding out the first Beast and so make the prophesie of God Rev. 1â— 11 of no effect which so plainely sets furâ—h and describes a second beast off no lesse danger then the first shal we so betray the cause of God and the soules of thousands and ten thousaÌ„ds of meÌ„ God forbid and wil anie of you that frely approve of al the findings out aÌ„d discoveries of the first Beast not with willingnes consent to the finding out off the second far be it from you to have so little love to Gods truth and the salvation of men Wel we wil do our endeavors to diâ—cover the secoÌ„d beast leaveing it to the coÌ„sciences of whoÌ„soever it may most concerne to judg whether we deale faithfully or no and we wil forejudg our selves to deale most weakely Revel 13. FroÌ„ the 1. vers to the 18. It is written I saw another Beast comeing vp out of the earth which had two hornes like the lambe but hee spake like the dragon doth exercise the power of the first Beast saieing to theÌ„ that dwel on the earth that they should make an image of the first Beaste causeth as manie as would not worship the image of the Beast should bee killed made all to receive a marke in their right hand or in their fore heads that no man might buy or sell save he that hath the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name Which way now in finding out the second Beast shal we bee able to looke besides that great Hyrarchy of Arch-Bishops and Lord-Bishops are not you they that pretend in meeknes and humilitie the word and power of the Lambe who saith Learne of mee that I am meeke lowly c. But exercise the power of the beast and speake like the dragon have you not made and set vp the image of the Beast is not your pompe and power like his and hath there not beene much like crueltie vsed by that power Doth not the blood of the dead crie and have not the imprisoned groaned vnder that crueltie and do not the silenced at home and the banished abroad dayly complaine may not all these crie How long Lord how long when wilt thou revenge Are not your Canons and Consistories and all the power that belonges vnto them with al the rest of your Courts Offices and Officers are not these parts of the image are they not like the Beast wil you say they are like the lambe or like his Apostles it cannot bee that you should say they are the feare of the Almightie would astonish you And if you cannot possibly prove that power that Pompe that crueltie those Canons and Courtes with the belongings and belongers therevnto to bee like the laÌ„be Then let the terror of the Almightie possesse you and make you afraide to vse and possesse al those thinges vnder the pretence of the power of the Lambe Have you not soules to save pittie your selves aÌ„d perish not there is mercie with the Lord if you wil feare him What will it profit you to enioy these thinges for a little while as manie of your predecessors have done before you even a little while and then be condemned and fal vnder the feirce wrath of God had you not much better a thousand times better yea ten thousand times better and more too be ministers of Christ abounding in labors in wearines painfulnes in watchings often in hunger thirst in fastings often in cold in nakednes that you might say at your last ends not as Apostles but as thapostle saith Wee have fought a good feight have finished out course we have kept the faith Hencefurth is laid vp for vs the Crowne off righteousnes But if this bee your feight as it hath bene the feight of divers of your predecessors to cause as manie as would not worship the ymage of the beast your Hyrarchie should be killed aÌ„d to make al both smale and great rich aÌ„d pooer bond and free to receive a marke in their right hand or in their forehead and that no man may buy or sell save he that hath the marke of the beast or the number off his name if this bee your feight it is evidently the feight of the second Beast and not the feight of Thapostle Paul And there is no Crowne off righteousnes laid vp for such a feight And do you not al these thinges when you force and compel men to submit to your whole conformity which is the perfect image of the beast Not to speake of your surplice and Crosse and Churchings and Burials and Coopes and Chauntings and Organs in your Cathedrales and how manie mo such abhominations wee cannot recken vp neither need wee seeing so many writings are ful off them but whosoever shal looke vpon them with an eie of lesse then halfe vprightnes shal easily see them to come out off the bowels of the beast and to bee the deformed image of his vgly shape To let al these passe the least whereof shal be called to account in the day of the Lord wee come to your Common Booke not medling with everie perticuler of it but with the most general By what power do you make praiers and bind men to them and appoint the order of them in time and place Whereoff two you appoint to be read everie evening without alteration some praiers to bee said after the Curate bee paid his due some on the North side the Table some in one place some in another Will you see a speciall ground of these four abhominations in appointing your Preists what to
be found fulfilled vpon the whole earth First the prophesie off Christ Mat 24. Off the Abhomination of desolation set in the holie place is not to bee seene the days of such great tribulation as was not from the begining of the world in which daies no flesh shal bee saved except they should bee shortned al flesh should bee condemned these daies are not yet heard of And the Prophesie off Daniel the Prophet 9.27 and 12.11 Who prophesied that the Sacrifices and the oblations shal cease and the daylie sacrifices shal bee taken away this Prophisie cannot yet bee come to passe if Rome bee beleevers in Christ and that their sacrifices and oblations bee the true sacrifices and oblations for Romes sacrifices ād oblations have never ceased and the Prophisie of thapostle 2. Thes 2. Who Prophesieth that there shal come a departing this prophesy is in no part fulfilled if Rome bee beleevers except it be fullfilled in them that have departed from Rome and then the Church off England and all the Presbitarie had need to looke to it who first departed But iff Rome and England and the Presbitarie and the Brownists bee al beleevers and of the faith of Iesus then hath there bene yet no departing from the faith but a great increasing far beyond the primitive times in that the scriptures no where shewe of whole Nations Kingdomes and Countries to bee of the faith off Iesus as now there is yea a great whole part of the world the like was never heard off nor Prophesied of iff all you bee beleevers as you either are all beleevers or al infidels for you are al of one faith ād baptisme But iff you bee beleevers there is no departing yet heard off neither is the man off sinne yet disclosed or reveiled nor exalted nor sits or hath sitten as God in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God there is no such prophesie yet come to passe And iff Rome bee al beleevers in Christ that prophesie Revel 11. Where it is prophesied that the people and kindreds and tongues and Gentils shall see the Corpes of the two witnesses of the Lord killed and lye in the streets of the great Citie which spiritually is called Sodome Egypt and that the inhabitants of the earth shal reioyce over them this prophesie cannot yet bee accomplished nor begun And if Rome bee beleevers then that prophesie of the first beast to whome is given a mouth to speake great thinges and blasphemies and to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and to whome power is given over every kindred and tongue and Nation so that all that dwell vpon the earth shal worship him And that Prophesie of the where that sits vpon many waters with whome have comitted fornication the Kings of the earth all the inhabitants of the earth are made drunck with the wyne of hir fornication All these prophesies ād manie moe cannot in anie measure bee fulfilled or begun iff the Church of Rome be beleevers and of the faith off Iesus And if these prophesies be not fulfilled nor begun then hath the misterie of iniquitie that began to worke in Thapostles daies to the exaltacion of the man off sinne givē ever working which were contrarie to the prophesie of Scripture and that may not bee Let Rome therefore and al that profession see and consider that al these prophesies of exaltations are fulfilled in that profession ād thus is their glorie their shame for they glorie in nothinge more then in their exaltation and great power aucthoritie and magnificencie of their Church and al that is true and thereby is this also true that all these prophesies are fulfilled in that their exaltation the which you of the Church of England and the whole Presbitarie confessing and protesting against them for the same you must needs hold them al infidels and vnbeleevers except you wil fal into great blasphemie and say that they are beleevers who execute the power of the man of sinne and cause the sacrifices and oblations to cease and to be taken away from the alter of the Lord so as there are no sacrifices offered vnto him Wil anie say that these are beleevers that take from the Lords alter his daylie sacrifices causing that none shal be offered vnto him if these be beleevers that vtterlie overthrowe the worship of the lord then can there be no infidels Further you cannot say the church of Rome are belevers except you wil say they are belevers that depart away frō the faith and are the ministers of the man sinne exalting a power above the power of God and setting vp this power the ministers whereof they are to sit as God in the Temple of God makeing shewe of that power that it is the power of God when it is the effectual working of Satā with al his power and signes ād lying wonders and they that are subiect in this power are such as the holy ghost testifieth receive not the love of the truth which beleve not the truth Cā you of the church of Englād ād you of the Presbitarie and you that are called Brownists that hold this Prophesie is fulfilled in that exaltation of the Romish profession can you hold these to be beleevers in Christ of whome the Lord saith they receive not the truth nor beleeve nor the truth but have pleasure in vnrighteousnes and exalted a power against God to bee worshipped as God wha◠wickednes and blasphemie is this to say these are Christians and beleevers in Christ Moreover you cannot say that the Romish Professors are beleevers except you wil say they are beleevers that set vp the first Beast and are the ministers off that power or Beast which Beast or Power hath 7. heads and 10. hornes and vpō his hornes 10. crownes and he is like a Leopard and his feet like a Beare and his mouth as the mouth of a Lyon to whome the dragon gives his power throne authoritie all this doe they of that profession and not this onelie but they also worship the dragon which giveth power to the Beast they worship the Beast saying who is like the Beast who is able to feight with him and they being the ministers off this Beast or Power do in their ministration opē their mouthes to blasphemie against God to blaspheme his name and his Tabernacle and them that dwel therein and by this Power they have made warr with the Saincts and overcome them Can you without great blasphemie against the holie one off Israel the most high God say that these are belevers in Christ Iesus and Christians That do these fearfull thinges seeking to destroy God and the faith of Iesus and all his Saincts that hold the faith of Iesus if you cannot say that they which do such thinges are beleevers and Christians then cannot you say that they of the Romish profession are beleevers or Christians but that they are infidels and vnbelevers seeing you confesse this Prophesie
is fulfilled in the Romish profession so are al these thinges done by theÌ„ And moreover to these the prophesie Revel 17. of the woman and the Beast and the Ten Kings that give their power and authoritie to the Beast these feight with the Lambe Can you say that anie of theâ—e are beleevers and Christians that feight against the lambe No the Spirit off God testifieth in this place that they which are called and chosen faithful are on the lambes side They then that feight against the lambe are those that are not called nor chosen nor faithfull therefore must they needs bee infidels aÌ„d vnbelevers Al these prophesies being confessed of you to be already accomplish by and vnder that Romish profession how shal you of the church of England and the Presbitarie bee able to say that they of the church of Rome are beleevers and Christians and if they bee not beleevers and Christians then are they infidels and vnbeleevers and so is your baptisme and ministâ—rie off England and the Baptisme off the Presbitarie and al the ordinances that you have received from Rome to be cast away as the markes of the Beast and most abhomâ—nable to the Lord. But it shal not bee a misse seeing there ariseth so iust an occasion to shewe the Lord directing vs the ground and roote of all this evill and sinne against the maiestie and holines of God against all which you off England and the Presbitarie sinne in accounting Rome and all them of that profession Christians although all these abhominations which wee have shewed in al these prophesies and might be shewed in manie moe bee committed and to this day maintained by them to the highest dishonor of God in exalting the man of sinne to sit as God in the Temple of God and to the vtter polluting of al the holie ordinances of God in abolishing the witnesse of the Lord his word and Spirit and killing the Saincts feighting against the Lambe makeing all the Nations of the earth to worship the Beast and to drincke of the wine of hir fornications that sits vpon many waters notwithstanding al this these you account Christians vpon this ground and from this roote because when they are infants they are washed with water in the name off the Father ere and you approve that they are Baptized when they are infants because they are the seed of Christians and of the faithful What words might we take to our selves to make your madnes and the madnes of al the world herein to appeare who pretend that al the seed of Christians and of the faithful are to bee Baptized onely aÌ„d vnder this preteÌ„ce baptize aÌ„d approve of the baptizing of the seed of al the wicked and vngodly in these parts of the World yea those that have beene wicked to the third and fowrth generation and to the tenth generation enimies of God and bloody persecutors of his truth destroying the faith of Iesus and advanceing the man of sinne The seed of all these are baptized and by reason of this Baptisme they are all held and accounted Christians by you although they walke in the stepps off their fore-Fathers Is there anie knowledg of God in these thinges Or do men thinke that now vnder the Gospel they may doe and approve off what they wil will men neither walke by the Law of God nor by the law they propound vnto themselves Do you set downe a Law to your selves that the infants off the faithfull are to bee Baptized and do you approve off the Baptizing of the infants of the enimies of God that feight against the lambe and the infants of some also that have not so much faith as the Devils who beleeve and tremble In the word of vnspeakable wisedome hath the holy Ghost said that the Nations shall bee drunck with the Wine of hir Fornications Who may not see this Prophesie fullfilled For if men were not druncke so as they can neither see their way nor tell what they say they would not walke thus and speake thus like druncken men The Church of England and the Presbitarie doe allowe of the Baptizing of al the Infants of Rome whose Pope aÌ„d Cardinals aÌ„d al their whole ministery that administer the baptisme and the parents of the infants that are baptized and those infants being alreadie come to be men of yeres would destroy their Kings and Princes and Countries and al them for professing Christ as they do are these the seed of the faithful and is this to baptize and allowe of the baptisme of the seed of the faithful Wey wiâ—h your selves what truth their is in this And the Brownists they approve of the baptisme and baptizing of theÌ„ whose parents persecute their owne children for walking in their way are these the seed of the faithful What blindnes and invprightnes is this to professe a ground and walke by no ground You must agree iff you can among your selves aÌ„d make a new law this you se wil not serve your turne for if you allowe none to bee baptized but the seed of the faithful you wil not have whole Countries and Nations all Christians as you have It is apparant therefore whatsoever you say that you hold that al infants whether their parents bee faithful or vnbeleevers shal be baptized your rule then is that both the seed of the faithful and vnfaithful shal bee Baptized and that is your practice what warrant caÌ„ be found for this or it is no matter whether there be warrant or no You alledge circumcisioÌ„ for your ground that because infaÌ„ts were circumcised therefore infants must be Baptized but yet you cannot find that the infants off anie people were to bee circumcised and if anie were circumcised but those that God commaunded he Lord nor his faithful servants never approved off it And wil you now approve of anie Baptisme and make it good aÌ„d yet make circumcision your example The Lord perswade your harts and the harts of all men to begin while it is day to examine the grouâ—d of your pâ—actice herein that you may stand before the Lord in the last day and through Christ be able to approve that you have walked by the strict rule off Gods word and not by the vaine inventions of men which God hates and let al Gods people hate but his law let them love which is a perfit Law and converteth the soule and it is pure and giveth light to the eies Psal 19. But by this your practice it is made a most inperfect law when you say that the infants of the faithful are to bee Baptized onelie and when you have laid that downe for your law you both Baptize and approve for good the Baptisme off the infants of he vnfaithful and vnbeleevers and enimies off God and his truth this is neither perfect nor pure law therefore it is not the law of God You ther that wait for salvation by Christ Iesus may not walke by that imperfect and impure lawe but must seeke
not if you might without danger or losse reforme your selves and as manie as you could according to that reformation you sue for your owne consciences can tel you you would If the King at first had made a law that al should have bene in subiection to the Bishops power and Goverment in the Church but he would have no man punished by imprisonment nor put out of their liveings that should refuse would you not al that make anie conscience off your waies have reformed If you would not then the reformation you plead for is not needful except the King wil approve of it and so have you striven al this while about needles things if the Kings comaundment may disanul the necessitie of them then are they needful if the King wil permit if not your reformatiō may be spared ād so ought you not to have gainsaied it as you have done And in this doth your iniquitie greatly abound in that you make so smale a matter off those thinges wherein you in iudgment differ from the Lord Bishops seeing the difference is no lesse then for the whole Goverment off Christ in his Church And the Lord give you and al his people Grace duely to consider off it how greatly you dishonor Christ and make a mock off him when you professe him to bee your King and yet say his Goverment is not of absolute necessitie so do you hold it of absolute necessitie to give him the name off a King but not to give him the power of a King what great impietie off high contempt is this What earthly King would endure this at his subiects hands Iff you should do so by our Lord the King off Great Brittanne acknowledg him to bee your Lord and King and call him by that name and title and bend and bow to him with words of al reverence but wholy submit your selves to bee Governed by the lawes and Officers off a forreyne power and that by Rebellious subiects who ought to bee obedient vnto the King and yet are set vp as Kings and take the Kings power from him were you not al worthy to bee accounted traytors and Rebels and would not the King cast you all out off his Kingdome or destroy you al in it would the king bee satisfied withall your words off flattery that you could vse in acknowledging him and calling him by the name off your King when he should see hee had no power to Governe you by his lawes and Officers but that you did submitt to bee ruled by the Lawes and Officers off his Rebellious subiects and enimies Would our Lord the King endure this Haveing power in his hand to avenge himselff off you would he not after his often proclamations made and his manie messingers sent vnto you to commaund you to come from vnder those Governors and that Goverment least ye bee destroyed with them and to submit your selves to him and he will bee your King and your defence if for al this you would not harken and obey would not the King come with his power according to his word and destroy you all together that would not suffer him to rule over you Certenly the King would do it in iustice and for his owne honor and haveing protested it with his word Evē so be you sure wil Christ Iesus your king do by you all if you stand stil in rebellion against him submitting your selves to that rebellious Hyrarchie of arch B. and lord B. who ought to be his subiects but are his enimies ād exalt thēselves above him governing you by aforteyne power and Goverment and not by Christs power and goverment and the kings proclamations are come vnto you comaunding you to Come out from among them and seperate your selves and be his Children and people And he will receive you and bee your God and Father 2. Cor. 6. And Go out of hir my people that ye bee not partakers of his sinnes that you receive not of hir plagues Revel 18. Thus doth Christ Iesus your King cal vnto you and if you will not yet harken to his voice but flatter with your tongues and say you acknowledg him to bee your King but submit not to bee governed by his power he wil certenly in his iustice for his honor haveing protested it by the word of his mouth come against you al and give you the Cup off the Wine of the feircnes of his wrath Revel 16.19 Oh people destitute of vnderstanding Oh Nation not worthy to be loved Can you thinke in your mynds that God hath given all earthly Kings power to make good lawes to rule and governe their people by and comaunded their subiects to be obedient thervnto And hath he not given Christ Iesus his beloved Sonne whome he hath set vpon Davids throne for ever and made King over his people Israell power to make true lawes and good ordinances to governe and rule his people by and hath he not comaunded al his subiects to be obediēt thervnto wil no king of power suffer his subiects to submit thēselves to be governed by the govermēt of anie other ād so to be deprived of that goverment which God hath given them over their subjects and can you bee so vnwise to thinke that Christ Iesus who is a King of greatest power will suffer it in his subiects Can you not see that a King is no King if his Goverment over his people bee taken away and can you thinke that Christ may bee a King without his goverment What vanitie doth possesse your minds whilst you make so smale a matter off Christs goverment saying you differ with the Bishops in no fundamental point but onely in matter of Goverment See if there bee anie sight in you if the Lord Bishops power of goverment were taken away where were their kingdome their names and titles would not support their kingdome and this they see and you find by their Can. 7. Anno 1603. which they have made for the firme establishing off their Goverment knowing it to bee fundamental without the which their kingdome would presently come to nought even in one houre even so have they brought Christs Kingdome to nought amongst you by takeing his goverment from him Who hath be witched you thus to say and teach and seduce the simple as though goverment were no fundamentall point knowe you not what Goverment is Can you devide Christs goverment as hee is a King from his power or his power from this goverment Will you make him a king without goverment Wherein then is he a King otherwise then in name If the Lord-Bishops should compel you to denie Christ off the name of a king in or over his Church would you not then say they overthrew a fundamentall point off faith And have you not vnderstanding to deferne that the power or Goverment of a King is off farr greater authoritie then the name of a king and were it not a much lesse matter for a king to bee deprived of the